Accused of conveying sexist and racist stereotypes, “Spirou and the Blue Gorgon” was withdrawn from sale. Isabelle Debekker, director of the Brussels Comic Strip Museum, discusses the controversy with us. For her, without forgetting the past, we must be aware of the evolution of society in today’s works.
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Co-head of MAD, journalist at the Culture department
By Gaëlle MouryPublished on 11/3/2024 at 7:04 p.m.
Reading time: 1 min
Summary of the article
– Released in September 2023, “Spirou and the Blue Gorgon” was withdrawn from sale on Thursday after accusations of sexist and racist stereotypes. – Dany, comic strip artist, defends humor and caricature as part of the Belgian DNA. – Isabelle Debekker, director of the Comic Strip Museum, emphasizes the importance of reflecting the evolution of society in current works.
Summary of the article
Summary of the article
JLast Thursday, Dupuis editions decided to withdraw from sale Spirou and the Blue Gorgon. Although it was published in September 2023, the children’s comic strip quickly sparked controversy on social networks. In question? Caricatural and problematic representations of certain black characters with ape-like features and of women – always hypersexualized and a little stupid. Not to mention a plot featuring “a band of eco-terrorists fighting against junk food”.
I find it unfortunate that there are still people who don’t understand what’s problematic.
This article is reserved for subscribers
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